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Happy ending: Lost West Seattle cat home – after 3 years!

Time for some happy news before this night is over. Sheri, who has lived in West Seattle for 18 years and raised her teenage daughter here, has a story to tell about a very happy homecoming:

In 2008, a friend of mine who worked at a vet clinic in Burien called me and said they found a tiny black kitten on the side of the road. She wondered if I was interested in adopting him, and of course I said yes. Mio became a part of our family in June of that year.

Within the first few months of having Mio, I took him to our vet at the West Seattle Animal Hospital, where I had him microchipped and neutered. Mio was always an outdoor cat, an avid hunter, and truly affectionate. He loved his dog brother Tony the most, and I’d often go into the back yard to see the two of them playing together. Keeping track of Mio wasn’t exactly easy. Like I said, he was a hunter, so he’d often go out for a few nights in a row, then camp out in the basement. He’d always eventually turn up, so it never really worried me. In the fall of 2010 I noticed Mio hadn’t been home for a while. I kept an eye out, but didn’t really worry, considering his independent nature. He never turned up.

As Tony and I would walk the neighborhood, I’d look every black cat in the eye. I’d often wonder if Mio just divorced us and decided to move in with another set of humans. When Mio disappeared I figured he would turn up, a vet clinic would scan him, then I’d get a call. As the years past, my phone never rang with that call.

Fast forward to Tuesday:

I received a call from our vet clinic, the West Seattle Animal Hospital. They told me that a clinic in Renton contacted them because they found a cat that was chipped and registered to them. It was Mio!

It turns out he had been living in Georgetown, relying on the kindness of strangers. I guess people were feeding him, and he was just sort of hanging out. Someone got a hold of him, thinking he was feral, and took him to one of the clinics that spay and neuter feral cats for free. That clinic put Mio under, began the procedure, then realized there was nothing to remove! They scanned him, called my vet, and he’s back home! It’s rather remarkable!

Once home, he took about 10 minutes to adjust. I have been keeping him in seclusion, just to help him readjust to our house and our lives. He and Tony are working on their brother bond, and they show great signs of progress. He’s the same affectionate self he always was. He’s got a few scratches and some fleas, but for the most part, it’s like he never left!

it’s taken me a little time to process everything. I have no idea who was feeding him in Georgetown, but I feel so thankful and grateful to them for taking care of my little guy. I am so glad I microchipped him, as that is the only reason I got the call to bring him back home. My take aways from this situation are twofold: While it’s hard to leave food out because of the raccoons, feeding cats that come around is never a bad idea; and second, microchip your pets!

Thanks to longtime reader Jono for suggesting Sheri share Mio’s story with us. And remember that we keep a West Seattle lost/found-pets page here on WSB – we hope you never need it, but if you find or lose a pet, you can send info to editor@westseattleblog.com, with a photo if you have one (not mandatory – description is most important).

I’m very happy you found your cat. As a cat person myself, I understand the depth of that bond. That said, and while I’m all for kindness to domestic animals wherever you find them, setting out food is kinda dangerous around here. Raccoons is one thing; coyotes are a WHOLE different ballgame! Be kind always, but also be smart & safe.

Agree with “All the birdies say.” This is a beautiful cat, and it’s wonderful that he’s back home, but he (and the songbirds) will be better off as an inside kitty henceforth. When people say, “Oh, cats are natural hunters; they need to be outside,” that’s like saying, “Oh, dogs need to be out hunting in packs – it’s their nature.”

Definitely microchip your pets, but if you have an outdoor cat, a collar and license are required, and a tag with your name and phone number is recommended. Better still, keep cats indoors at all times.

DarkHawke, I absolutely agree with you, and you said what I meant in a much better way. My point was: be kind! If you see a stray cat, do what you can. Thanks everyone for the kind words, we are so happy to have our guy back home!

Glad she was OK and has a happy home again. While I don’t think cats should be strictly indoor animals, the number of wild animals and especially songbirds that are killed by pet cats is VERY concerning. Please, please, please: if you have a kitty that goes out put bells on them to warn the wildlife.

Such a heartwarming story. Gives me hope that my Diesel who has been missing for almost a year will one day return.
Bless you Mio, my the remainder of your life be happy healthy and loving with your long lost family.

So glad your Mio made it home again! I’ve always had indoor/outdoor cats, but I’m starting to see the value of keeping them indoors. There are just too many threats to their safety in the city, and the wild birds have a hard enough time surviving without well-fed super predators hunting them for sport. This story had a happy ending, but that’s not often the case.

Major kudos to the generous heart that captured Mio, thinking he was feral. Not only did it reunite Mio with his owner, it’s a proactive step in keeping the feral cat population down. I encourage everyone who can, to get trained at their local adoption agency in capturing feral cats (safely) and taking them in to be spayed/neutered.

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